The 7th Victim

A Novel

Baker & TaylorAs FBI Profiling Unit's Special Agent Karen Vail works on the case of the Dead Eyes Killer, his seventh victim unlocks dangerous secrets that threaten both her career and life.

Perseus Publishing

In this breakthrough novel of psychological suspense, Alan Jacobson redefines and sets a new standard for the serial killer novel, just as Thomas Harris did with Silence of the Lambs twenty years ago.

The Dead Eyes Killer lurks in the backyard of the famed FBI Profiling Unit. His brutal murders confound the local task force, despite the gifted profiling skills of Special Agent Karen Vail. But along with Vail’s insight and expertise comes considerable personal and professional baggage.

On leave pending a review of her assault on her abusive ex-husband, Vail must battle forces determined to bring her down, as she fights to find Dead Eyes before he murders more young women. But the seventh victim is the key to all that stirs this killer...the key that will unlock secrets perhaps too painful for Vail to bear. These are secrets that threaten to destroy her, secrets that will bring down her storied career. For Karen Vail, the truth rests at the heart of a lie. And uncovering it could get her killed...

With material meticulously researched during seven years of study with the Bureau’s vaunted profiling unit, Alan Jacobson brings refreshing realism and unprecedented accuracy to his pages.

The 7th Victim is a page-turner as only Alan Jacobson can write, with a stunning twist of an ending that will satisfy even the most discerning thriller reader.

Blackwell North AmerThe Dead Eyes killer lurks in the backyard of the FBI's famed Behavioral Analysis Unit. His brutal murders, unlike any others previously encountered, confound the local task force, despite the gifted skills of Special Agent Karen Vail, the first female ever promoted to the profiling unit. But along with her keen insight, she brings considerable personal and professional baggage - both of which threaten to derail their investigation.As the Dead Eyes killer grows bolder by the unit's inability to stop him, Vail discovers that the seventh victim holds the key to all that stirs this killer ... the key that will unlock secrets too painful for Vail to beat. Secrets that threaten to destroy her, that could bring down her storied and promising career. For Karen Vail, the truth rests at the heart of a lie. And uncovering it might just get her killed.

Baker & TaylorWith FBI Profiling Unit's Special Agent Karen Vail on the case of the Dead Eyes Killer, his seventh victim unlocks dangerous secrets that threaten both her career and life, forcing her to decide if uncovering the truth is worth the price she may eventually be forced to pay.